This invention relates to wireless office communication systems and, more particularly, to an integrated IP-SS7 gateway and home location register.
A wireless communication system, in the form of a cellular system, is designed to cover a large geographic area. The system is divided into numerous cells providing air interface between mobile stations and land-based systems. The network interfaces described herein are based on the ANSI-41 intersystem communications standard. This standard defines the functionality for a Mobile Application Part (MAP) for personal communication systems (PCS). Messages are sent via signaling system 7 (SS7) protocols.
Recently, cellular based system design is being used as a foundation for smaller systems, such as a wireless office system (WOS). One such WOS employs time-division multiple access (TDMA) technology to deliver a private communication environment that is flexible and compatible with existing digital wireless networks.
A TDMA WOS may be associated with a TDMA PLMN and requires a way to transmit and receive ANSI-41 messages. These messages are normally sent via SS7 protocols and routed using either direct point code (PC) routing or global title translation (GTT).
One design of a WOS contemplates connecting to the SS7 network through use of a WOS gateway. The gateway is a separate physical node serving one or more WOSs. From the perspective of the SS7 network, the WOS is a signaling point (SP) with its own point code. However, this system adds an additional physical node to the network architecture, which results in more equipment in the network and a larger number of nodes to configure. This design requires that any purchaser of the WOS also has access to this gateway node, or provide the same functionality separately.
The vast majority of the messages that the gateway passes between the WOS and the SS7 network are for a home location register (HLR) which stores wireless user subscriber information. In order to communicate with the HLR, the gateway must process the messages and perform a protocol conversion. This increases processing and delays in operation of the WOS.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above in a novel and simple manner.
In accordance with the invention there is provided an integrated home location register and wireless office system gateway.
Broadly, there is disclosed herein a router controlling message communication between a first wireless communication network that transmits and receives messages using a TCP/IP protocol and a second wireless communication network that transmits and receives messages using an MTP protocol. The router includes an integrated processing system including a home location register (HLR) storing wireless user subscriber information. A first interface communicates with the first wireless communication network using the TCP/IP protocol. A second interface communicates with the second wireless communication network using the MTP protocol. A gateway function is operatively connected to the HLR and the first and second interfaces for controlling message transmission therebetween.
It is a feature of the invention that the HLR stores subscriber information for users of both the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. The gateway function transmits and receives HLR subscriber information with either network directly without protocol conversion.
It is another feature of the invention that the gateway function converts protocol of messages between TCP/IP and MTP for messages to be transferred from one of the networks to the other of the networks. The gateway function translates global titles received from the second wireless communication network to IP addresses for the first wireless communication network.
It is another feature of the invention that the gateway function operates as a signaling transfer point for the second wireless communication network via the second interface.
It is still a further feature of the invention that the gateway function operates as a termination point for first wireless communication network protocols. The first wireless communication network protocols may support monitoring of communication between the first wireless communication network and the gateway function or transport of configuration messages.
There is disclosed in accordance with another aspect of the invention an integrated gateway and home location register system for transmitting and receiving messages in a wireless communication network. The system comprises a processing system including a home location register (HLR) storing wireless user subscriber information. A first interface is in communication with a wireless office system (WOS) network for routing messages using a TCP/IP protocol. A second interface is in communication with a public land mobile network (PLMN) for routing messages using an MTP protocol. A gateway function is operatively connected to the HLR and the first and second interfaces for controlling message transmission therebetween.
More particularly, the present invention relates to combining gateway functionality of a WOS into an HLR. This system directly sends ANSI-41 messages from the WOS to the HLR using TCP/IP protocol. Additionally, since the HLR maintains SS7 routing information for the network, it is adapted to perform protocol conversion and routing functionality of the gateway without the need of an additional node.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the specification and from the drawing.